This video was produced by Michael van Ryneveld from Ryno Productions www.ryno.co.za

The Association is a public, non-profit organisation which, holding no bias towards any particular

Christian denomination or political affiliation, is established for the following objectives:

1. Promotion or practice of the Christian religion which encompasses acts of worship and community service

2. Promotion of community based projects relating to self-assistance, empowerment and skills development

3. Promotion and facilitation of health care services to the community in collaboration with the Health

    Department or relevant authorities.

4. Outreach programmes for the poor and needy

Embedded in the DNA of the HBCCA is the genuine desire and commitment to make positive impacts in the community of Imizamo Yethu through services, programmes and projects touching all spheres of people's lives - spiritually as well as materially.

 Iziko Lobomi - Centre of Life, has been a symbol of hope and unity to the community ever since it opened its doors in 1996, more than twenty years ago. As a Church-cum-Adult Skills Training Centre countless people have been helped over the years through skills training, feeding programmes, welfare and disaster assistance, family crisis intervention, counselling and spiritual guidance.

Iziko Lobomi currently provides a venue for more than 30 different community-based church denominations to conduct various meetings such as church services, youth meetings, weddings and funerals.

This Centre is used by secular organisations and institutions for the delivery of community services, community meetings, celebrations, fund-raising events, skills training, etc. etc. It operates 7 days a week and is open from 7h00 to 10h00 every day.

During weekdays the Centre is primarily used as a hub (by all residents of the township) that provides a large variety of services. Among these services are healthcare, social welfare, a soup kitchen, play school for 30+ pre-school children, administration services and self-assistance, empowerment and skills development opportunities delivered in-house or by external service providers.

A TYPICAL MONTH

In a typical, normal month (with no extraordinary community happenings such as fires, storms, crime issues, etc.) more than 1,200 nutritious meals are served to the unemployed, elderly, sick, persons with disabilities, Centre volunteers and poor members in the community.

More than 30 groups will book the hall for different types of meetings (as mentioned above) involving between 2,000 and 3,000 people from the community.

On average approximately 200 visitors will go through the doors coming from more than fifty countries all over the world (including South Africa) to experience the activities at the centre and at the same time supporting the different small businesses (craft stalls) operating on the premises.

Training in various skills takes place at the Centre on an ongoing basis. Over the years adult men and women, young and old, have been trained in valuable practical skills such as sewing, fabric painting, beading work, cooking, pottery, bricklaying, etc.

In recent years most of the training offered at Iziko Lobomi was focused on particular job skills such as Customer Care Training and more recently, Restaurant Server training. These are valuable skills and very sought after by employers in both the retail and hospitality fields.

The Iziko Lobomi Learning Centre offers students the opportunity to study for online Certificates and Diplomas in 8 different fields: Technology, Language, Science, Health, Humanities, Business, Mathematics, Marketing and Lifestyle (http://www.alison.com)

The Learning Centre is equipped with six desktop computers with permanent broadband Internet connections. Two permanent facilitators are on duty during the day and in the evenings.

Over the years Iziko Lobomi has been a popular venue for numerous talented entrepreneurial men and women from where they could run their micro businesses. This enabled them to earn a living and made it possible for them to put food on the tables of their families.

Their main source of sales comes form local and overseas visitors accompanied by township tour guides. Their products are popular because they are all made locally, are authentic and absolutely unique.

As was the intention right from the start that Iziko Lobomi would be the main venue for the more than 30 different mainstream and local church denominations. These churches primarily book the hall for meetings after hours and over weekends.

Church services, prayer meetings, special occasion meetings, weddings and funerals are what the Iziko Lobomi hall is mostly booked for.

Iziko Lobomi is a very popular venue for important community meetings.

On a regular basis the Centre is used as venue by different types of organisations and institutions: Police forum meetings, Local Council related meetings, Neighbourhood Watch (Patrollers), Department of Health, various local Clubs, Associations and Societies

Iziko Lobomi is also used as a poling station during national and local elections as well as a disaster relief base in times of crisis such as flooding or fires.

HEALTH CARE

A small team of dedicated women keeps a caring eye on adult men and women in need of personal daily care due to illnesses or disabilities. Respite facilities at Iziko Lobomi to accommodate approximately six adults are available and being used for this purpose.

Regular information sessions are arranged by local health authorities to inform the community on issues such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malnutrition, sexuality and related diseases, etc. etc.

The Centre is also used by the local Clinic as distribution point of chronic medication to people in the community.

WELFARE – FEEDING

The kitchen plays a very important role in the daily activities of the Centre. Manned by a loyal and hard-working team of volunteers, the kitchen-team prepares large amounts of food daily for the elderly, sick, disabled, homeless and unemployed people of the Imizamo Yethu community. For many years daily nutritious meals have been sponsored for approximately 60 people by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape's Sustainable Livelihood Programme (SLP)

The SLP Programme include nutritious pre-packed food parcels delivered to homeless people in the Hout Bay CBD including food parcels for men waiting for employment at traffic light intersections.

SUPERMARKET ‘UNSALEABLES’

Every work several local volunteers do their rounds at the local supermarkets to collect ‘unsaleable’ food for distribution at Iziko Lobomi for needy residents in the community. The food collected are mostly of very good quality and can bring a welcome relief to a person low on funds.

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)

SASSA provides their service to the Imizamo Yethu community twice a month by using Iziko Lobomi as their service delivery venue. To have this service within walking distance for community members is a huge privilege and the HBCCA is proud that we are able to assist them in delivering such a crucial service.

Iziko Lobomi is the spiritual heart of Imizamo Yethu and a place of refuge for many in need. Members of many different denominations work together in teams to reach out to the community of Imizamo Yethu.

Outreaches take the form of combined evangelistic rallies comprising of special evangelistic services, literature and Bible distribution and film shows.

Regular youth meetings are held during the week, catering for children ages 3-13 and young adults.

Iziko Lobomi plays a vital role in times of disasters especially when fires break out among shack dwellers which is a common occurrence. Shelter and food is provided during these disasters at Iziko Lobomi for victims of these fires and is used by the local government and disaster relief organisations as base for the distribution of aid to the affected residents.

On average more than two hundred visitors (local and abroad) visit Iziko Lobomi every month. These visitors are mostly accompanied by local township tour guides who take small groups on walking tours through the township. These tours are popular with old and young and takes place all through the year.

To many of them the stop at Iziko Lobomi is their highlight of their township walk because here they get an opportunity to enjoy the warm hospitality of our staff and can get firsthand experience of this vibrant, one-of-a-kind community centre.

Over the years many energetic volunteers spent some of their valuable time in the services of the HBCCA. These volunteers (local or overseas) are always welcomed with open arms. Volunteers will mostly be used inside Iziko Lobomi assisting staff with office or kitchen tasks. Many volunteers have been used to help with community upliftment projects.

Our volunteers often become some of Iziko Lobomi's most loyal ambassadors. Overseas volunteers have been from countries as far as Russia, the Netherlands and Australia.

Over the years it has been possible for the HBCCA to get involved in projects outside the boundaries of our own property. We have termed these projects 'community upliftment projects' because the purpose behind these project is to make a contribution to our surroundings that will have an 'uplifting' effect on people's spirits and moods and at the same time gives them a sense of pride in their neighbourhood.

The positive feedback we keep getting from residents in the community serves as motivation to keep doing it as longs as funds are available for these projects. To date, all of our projects have been funded with funds received from supporters (local and abroad) specifically for these projects.

The positive responses from our supporters when approached for funds confirmed their excitement and approval of what we were doing on behalf of the community!